Phoenix unveils Wallace and Ladmo street sign honoring TV hosts

The late Wallace and Ladmo are now a permanent fixture in downtown Phoenix. The iconic local TV personalities — who entertained generations of Arizonans with their long-running children’s show — were honored Wednesday as city officials dedicated a ceremonial street sign bearing their names.

As family members and friends of the duo watched on, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego and members of the City Council unveiled “Wallace and Ladmo Way” at the intersection of First Avenue and McKinley Street during a morning ceremony.

The cast and crew of “The Wallace and Ladmo Show,” which aired for more than 35 years on KPHO Channel 5, were also in attendance, including longtime Arizona television personality Pat McMahon.

Last month, Mayor Gallego and the City Council unanimously approved the ceremonial renaming, sponsored by Councilmember Carlos Galindo-Elvira, whose district includes the intersection.

Wallace and Ladmo 'brought so much joy to generations'

Gallego, who spoke during Wednesday's dedication ceremony, says Wallace and Ladmo "brought so much joy to generations of Arizonans."

"By renaming this street, were doing more than commemorating icons, we're preserving an important piece of Phoenix's soul and history," Gallego says. "The street will carry more than just names, it will carry memories of joy and the spirit of Phoenix."

"Wallace and Ladmo Way" is located less than a block from First Studio, the historic downtown Phoenix building that was home to KPHO when the show began airing in April 1954. Over the next 35 years, the program arguably became Arizona’s most beloved television show, with its namesake stars — the late Bill “Wallace” Thompson and Ladimir “Ladmo” Kwiatkowski — becoming local icons.

“The Wallace and Ladmo Show” was known for being more than just a kid’s show, though, as it featured subversive and absurd humor that was entertaining for all ages. Wallace played the straight man, Ladmo was the lovable goof and villainous spoiled brat Gerald (one of many characters portrayed on the show by McMahon) was a playfully insufferable comic foil for the duo.

On Wednesday, McMahon spoke of how he joined the cast of "The Wallace and Ladmo Show" after moving to the Valley in 1960, drawn in by its irreverent humor and unconventional style.

"I turned on the television set on my first day in Phoenix, Arizona, and it was 'The Wallace and Ladmo Show' and my reaction (was), 'Oh no, not another one of those sappy kid shows. I can't stand it,'" McMahon says. "But then I started watching what they were doing and they were making fun of the sales department and were saying, 'They don't want us to do live commercials anymore because we're not showing proper respect for the clients,' and I'm mesmerized."

'They were just so real to the kids'

The children of Kwiatkowski and Thompson, who respectively died in 1994 and 2014, shared memories of their fathers during the ceremony. Shari Kwiatkowski, Ladmo’s daughter, recalled how the duo differed from other children's show hosts of their era.

“They were just so real to the kids (and to) the grown-ups that watched the show," Shari Kwiatkowski says. "They never talked down to the kids. And they were funny. They were really funny."

Robin Kwiatkowski, Ladmo's son, spoke of how the show affected generations of viewers.

“It’s always awesome when you have a family member’s name be presented in such an amazing atmosphere," Robin Kwiatkowski says. "Coming back here, so many people sharing their memories of the show. I mean, it’s been decades since it’s been off air, but it really touched so many young Arizonans." Local musicians Carrie Thompson, Bill’s daughter, and Billy Lowry, his grandson, performed “1954,” a touching song about Wallace and Ladmo written by the late Mike Condello, the show’s bandleader.

Dozens of Ladmo Bags — the cherished paper sacks filled candy, toys and soda that were given away to children in the audience — were also handed out to those at the ceremony, including Gallego and city council members.

Thompson, who performed on the show starting at age 9, told Phoenix New Times her family was “grateful” that city officials honored their father and longtime partner. “At first, I’d come home from school like any other kid and sat down and watched it. Then I became a performer,” she says. “The show meant so much to me. We miss our dad so much. So to get this honor means a lot of me and my family.”

Shari Kwiatkowski was also touched by the honor and said her father, who died in 1994, loved portraying Ladmo.

“When he got cancer, he reflected, as one does. And he was like, ‘Did I do the right thing?' Because he offered a contract to play professional baseball and he turned it down and got a job with KPHO,” she says. “So with how he touched the lives of the people of Arizona, and not just the kids but three generations worth (of local residents), you can’t say enough how much he live his life and enjoyed being Ladmo.”
McMahon told Phoenix New Times he’s honored to have been part of a landmark Arizona television show.

“It’s incredibly exciting, mostly because if you stay alive long enough in this business, somebody will give you a plaque. And if you stay alive long enough and (your) television show gets attention, then you will get recognized by your peers,” McMahon says. “But when it's this and the Phoenix City Council voting on something that’s going to last forever and kids are going to ask about it, they’re going to get an answer that’s fun. And that’s terrific.”

Here are more photos from Wednesday's ceremony dedicating "Wallace and Ladmo Way" in downtown Phoenix.